In Love With Future Islands? Join The Club!

By Kim Bellware in Arts & Entertainment on Oct 28, 2011 6:00PM

OK, so there's not an official fan-club style "I love Future Islands" group, but praise for the Baltimore-based group and their recent "On the Water" has been pretty much non-stop since the kickoff of their fall tour. Since their breakthrough early last year with "In Evening Air," Future Islands has climbed out of the "buzz band" category and earned themselves a sterling reputation on the strength of their intense live shows and tightly-crafted post-wave electro fun breakup music.

Future Islands' new songs have more sprawl and fewer hard-charging turns that encouraged so much head bopping and air punching from their last record--but this is hardly a drawback. Though we were absolutely blown away when we caught the band last year, we quickly realized that Future Islands is a band that almost seduces you with their music coaxing you into having a blast regardless of whether their songs or atmospheric or cathartic.

We give a boatload of credit to Future Islands' singer (and ace lyricist) Samuel T. Herring. Even without the intricate work of his also-stellar bandmates, Herring's vocals and intensity as a performer are powerful enough on their own to grab you close and put your heart into a vice-grip.

Given the consistency of Future Islands' live shows and recorded output over the past year and a half, we feel confident calling their show (with the fantastic openers, Javelin) a must-see. The moves may be different as they support this new record, but the outcome should be the same: all-out intensity and sweaty, unmitigated fun.

Future Islands play Sunday, October 30 at Lincoln Hall, 2424 N Lincoln, 8 p.m., 21+